Railway-track system



(No Model.)

I. NOONAN. RAILWAY TRACK SYSTEM.

INVEN 13611 Patented Sept. 21, 1886.

ATTORNEYS.

joints which batters the rails.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PHILIP NQONAN, OF EDGABD, LOUISIANA.

RAILWAY-TRACK SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 349,447, dated September 21, 1886.

Application filed May 5, 1886. Serial No. 201,181. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PHILIP NOONAN, of Edgard, in the parish of St. John Baptist and State of Louisiana, have invented a new and Improved Railway-Track System, of which the following isa full, clear, and exact description.

\Vith railway tracks as ordinarily constructed difficulties arise in maintaining the rails in proper surface and to correct gage, and there is danger of the rails springing suddenly out of line, owing to the creeping of the rails toward an unyielding section or part of them, due to a lengthwise wave movement of the rails, caused by the small surface contact or bearings of the car-wheels on the rails. Furthermore, the ordinary separation of the ends of the rails to provide for expansion causes a pounding of the car-wheels at the Furthermore, when the rails are spiked fast to the ties, the traffic on the rails shifts the ties in the roadbed, especially in a dirt road-bed, and exposes the side surfaces of the ties to alternate rains'and sun, which causes the ties to weather-crack and make them much less durable than they should be.

It is the object of my invention to obviate these difficulties by means of a simple and efficient system of railway-track construction, which I will now more particularly describe.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is aplan viewof a portion of arailway-track constructed in accordance with my invention, and shows the joints of the main rails with the splice-rails which form parts of the main-line tracks. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail plan view of one of the joints of a splice-rail and a main rail, and the grip by which backward movement of the main rail is or may be prevented, the cap plates of the grip-holder being removed. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional elevation of the tracks, taken at the rail-grips and on the line 00 00, Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a cross-section of the main or the splice rails, illustrating the method of holding the main 5o rails to the ties and of ballasting the tracks.

The running of trains over railway-tracks causes what is termed the wave of deflection movement of the rails, and the wheels of moving cars carry these waves with them and in advance of them in arcs of larger or smaller circles, and as the cars deposit these waves the waves urge the rails forward in direction of travel of the cars, and thereby cause the rails to creep or run lengthwise, and where these waves accumulate at a certain point in the line of a track, as at a bad spot therein, the track is likely to jump suddenly out of line in hot weather, the effects of the sun on the rails by expanding them aiding the slowly-accumulating waves to complete this displacement of the track and wreck the cars. A hard road-bed which will withstand the beating of the ties against it tends to increase the power of these waves in the rails, and where the track isuneven and less raising of the rails is done the-waves break more frequently, and also with tracks whereof all the joints are either high or low the waves will be broken at the high joints and low centers, respectively, of the rails, and when the waves are broken danger of their accumulation to an extentliable to displace the rails is obviated. These waves in the rails are most liable to accumulate at crossings of tracks at grade, and at frogs, draw-bridges,

or at thebase of heavy inclines. A running train on a smooth track tends to keep it smooth, while the force that prevents such result is the accumulation and obstruction of these waves in the rails. Furthermore, the grip of spikes attaching the rails in the usual way to the ties, and the subsequent expansion on a hot day throws the rails out of line, and when the rails are spiked tightly to the ties all the ties rise up and down with the wave movements of the rails, thereby exposing them to weather-cracking, as hereinbefore stated.

In pursuance of the aforesaid views, I will state that one of the main features of my railway-track system is a construction of the track with opposite main rails, A A,which are turned outward, as at a a, where splice-rails B Bare laid. The rails 13 B are scarfed or beveled at the ends, as at b b, so as to lie closely to the inner sides of the main rails A A, and form therewith continuous rails, as will be understood from Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. These splice-rails B B will be interposed or connected IOO in the main-track rails A at places where the accumulation of the waves in the'rails would reach a dangerous limit, as at crossings of the track at grade, at the base of heavy inclines or down-grades of the track, or at frogs and drawbridges.

In laying the rails A in accordance with my track system, I connect them by fish-plates O O and bolts 0 c, which do not allow for lengthwise movement of the rails in or at the fishplates-in other words, the ends of the rails at the joints will abut or be set close together, and'not separated more or less to allow for eX- pansion, as in the ordinary construction; and instead of driving the spikes D D into the ties E until the heads of the spikes bind on the bottom flanges of the rails, as is usually practiced, I drive the spikes down only far enough to leave a space of about one-half an inch between their heads and the base-flanges of the rails, as clearly shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing's. The base flanges of these rails A are not notched to receive the spikes; but the spikes are driven as closely as may be to the opposite'. edges of the flanges. When the heads of the spikes holding railway-rails to the ties are driven tightly to the base-flanges of the rails in the usual way, a rising of the rails causes withdrawal of the spikes when the ties are frozen fast in the earth, and causes a loosening of the ties in soft unfrozen earth, as in the latter case the spikes have suflicient hold in the ties to lift the ties as the rails are lifted, and in the former case the fast-frozen ties will not yield, and consequently the spikes must lift with the rails. v

It is obvious that with the main rails A connected with abuttingend joints and with the spikes driven toleave a space of about onehalf inch originally between their heads and the base-flanges of the rails, as above described, the rails A will at all times be free to have the above-described wave movement on the ties, and each long section or block of connected rails A' will have free lengthwise movement except as this latter movement may be limited by grip. devices, as presently explained. There are small rails that will not admit of the spike-headsbeing raised onehalf inch, if the rail-joints were secured by ordinary fish-plates and bolts, as the bolt-nuts would strike the spikes; but as this track makes no provision for opening and closing of the rail-joints, or, in other words, as the rails are end-butted together, plates may be pressed on and riveted across the joints, which will admit of this half-inch space under the spikeheads. A track with the rails joined by riveted plates would offer less obstruction to the travel of the waves along it. The splice- -rails B will have notches, as at b, in their base-flanges, through which notches spikes willbe driven so that their heads clamp the splice-rails down firmly to the ties E, and along the splice-rails B, and especially where they connect withthe main rails A, the ties will be laid and braced so they will be firm and unyielding, like ties on a trestle or bridge, and the ends of the rails B B, preferably, are connected or stayed to each other by tierods b At or near each scarfed end I) of the splicerails B, I apply to the main rails A what I call a grip, which consists, preferably, of a plate, F, bent to. form a recess in which the rail A rests, while the opposite end parts, ff, of the grip lie loosely in recesses h, between upper and lower blocks or plates, G G H H, which are bolted to the adjacent ties E E of the track. The recesses h are preferably formed entirely in the upper faces of the blocks H H, and in the end of the block H farthest from the end b of the splice-rail B there is threaded a screw, I, the inner end of which may be forced against the adjacent end f of grip F. In one end of the block H there is fitted to slide a heavy pin, J, outside of the head of which there is supported in any ap proved way a spring, preferably a spiral or coiled spring, K, which may be compressed by a headed screw, L, threaded into a suitable support, and a nut, M, which may be fixed to the adjacent tie E, and whereby the pin J may be set endwise against the adjacent end f of the grip F. The recess of the grip F in which the base of the rail A rests is a littlewider than the rail-base, so that when the pin J is forced inward by the screw L the grip F will be canted or inclined horizontally 011 the point 3 of block H to cause diagonally-opposite edges or corners 1 '2 of the grip to bite on the opposite sides of the rail A, and prevent a backward movement of this rail from the end I) of the adjacent fixed splice-rail B, but will allow a forward movement of the rail A through the grip, and should it be desired to release the rail A from the grip for any purpose, this may be done by turning in the screw I, to carry the end f of the grip F against the square shoulder 4 of the recess 7b in block H, while the screw L will be set to hold the pin J firmly to the endf ofthe grip, which adjustment will bring the recess of the grip about parallel with the rail and allow the rail to have free endwise v movement, as will readily be understood. The grips F are preferably provided with lips f 2 f which overhang the baseflanges of the rails A, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

With the system of rails B above described it is obvious that even if the ties 011 which the rails are laid-are but partly embedded in the soil the ties will be very much less liable to work loose in the soil and leave cracks in the earth around them than when the rails are spiked tightly down to the ties in the ordinary way, and which subjects the ties to alternate wettings and dryings, which tend to quick] y weather-crack the ties and seriously impair their durability.

In order to secure greater durability of the ties than the system of loosely-held rails A alone would afi'ord, I cover the ties completely with dirt, as at N 0, inside and outside-of the rails, respectively, the dirt at N extending- -drawings.

about up to the lower edge of the heads of the rails and the dirt at 0 extending to the tops of the rails, as clearly shown in Fig. 4 of the This dirt covering of the ties does not interfere with a slight lift or wave movement of the rails A from the ties as trains pass over, and at the same time the dirt holds or packs the ties solidly in the road-bed.

Although this system of railway-tracks is intended especially for use with dirt road-beds,

it may be adopted when the ties are ballasted' with sand, broken stone, or other material. Suitable drainage-holes may be made in the dirt N O to let off surplus or running water, and the dirt N may be arched or eonvexed at the top, if preferred. one grip may be arranged to hold the end part of each rail Aas, for instance, a grip, F, may be arranged where shown in the drawings, and also at the outer end of the outturned portion a of the rail.

The advantages of the herein-described system of railway-tracks may be briefly summarized as follows: lhe main railsA will not be battered at their eud-butted joints and the rails will not require raising, as ordinary tracks do; hence the rails will keep a perfect surface, allowing unlimited speed of travel of heavy trains over them, and at the same time expansion and contraction of the rails are fully provided for by the wave movements of the rails. Trains will run smoothly, and the life of roll ing-stock will be lengthened and liability of wrecks diminished, and the bad effects of water are overcome, as the tracks may be submerged without injury, and the ties being treated alike will wear out alike and will be much more durable than in other systems of railway-tracks.

Having thus fully described myinvention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1 1. In a railway-track system, the combination,with ties, of main rails laid loosely thereon ineonnected sections, spikes, or equivalent fastenings fixed to the ties at the sides of the rails and allowing a free limited vertical or wave movement of the main rails, and splicev rails fixed to the ties at and connecting the ends of the main-rail sections to-form a continuous track, substantially as described, for the purposes set forth.

If desired, more than 2. In a railway-track system, the combination, with ties or other rail-supports, of main rails laid loosely on the ties or supports and outturned at their ends, splice-rails laid at and connecting the outturned ends of the main rails to form a continuous track, and grips fitted to the main-rail sections at or near their outturned ends, substantially as de scribed, for the purposes set forth.

3. In a railway-track system, the combination, with ties E, of loose main rails A, hav ing outturned ends a, and connected in sections by end-butted joints, splice-rails B, scarfed at the ends and laid fixedly at and connecting the outturned ends of the main rails to form a continuous track, grips F crossing beneath rails A, and adjusting devices, substantially as specified,whereby the grips may be caused to bite and hold the rails A, substantially as described ,for the purpose set forth 4.. In a railway-track'system, the combination,with the main and splice rails A ]3, arranged substantially as specified, and the grips F, supported in recessed blocks H H, and

adapted to bite at diagonally-opposite corners on the rails A, of a pin, J, spring K, and screw L, substantially as herein set forth.

5. In a railway-track system, the combination,with the main and splice rails A B, arranged substantially as specified, and the grips F, supported in recessed blocks H H, and adapted to bite at diagonally-opposite corners on the rail A, of a screw, I, threaded into block H, substantially as herein set forth.

6. A railway-track system comprising ties E, main rails A, connected in sections having closed or end-butted joints, and provided with outturned ends a, and laid loosely on the ties between spikes, allowing free limited vertical or wave movement of the rails, splice-rails B, fixed to the ties and connecting by scarfed ends with the outturned ends of the main rails, to form a continuous track, grips, as at F, placed on the rails A, devices, substantially as specified, for adjusting the grips, and ballast, as at N 0, covering the ties, substantially as described, for the purposes set forth.

PHILIP N OONAN.

VVit-nesses:

HENRY L. GOODWIN, C. Snnewrex. 

